Introduction to Teleworking

Teleworking, often called telecommuting, is the ability to work one or more days a week outside a traditional work setting. Because of the environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits, telework is gaining popularity worldwide.

Who can telework?

Those who have a strong attendance record, proven work ethic, and ability to perform job duties away from a traditional work site may be candidates for telework. For example, writers, computer programmers, and even college professors can all use home office equipment to do their job. If you must be physically present to perform job duties, your position is probably not suited to teleworking (nurse, security guard, waiter, etc).

Teleworking benefits:

Employers:
  • Improve employee productivity
  • Recruit and retain quality employees
  • Retain workers whose spouses are relocated away from the work site area
  • Reduce employee absenteeism due to minor illnesses
  • Potential employment of under utilized segments of the population such as persons living with disabilities and retirees
  • Real estate savings—less need for office space, parking facilities, and transit costs
Employees:
  • Increase productivity due to flexible work arrangement
  • Improve work/family/life balance
  • Higher morale
  • Ease commuting stress and cost
The Environment:
  • Conserve energy, transportation, and real estate resources
  • Reduce toxic gas emissions
  • Reduce pollution runoff
  • Reduce waste of natural resources
  • Ease traffic congestion—greatly reduced the number and length of commutes reliant on gasoline
Health and Safety Programs:
  • Lower risk of injury and death due to less hours spent in traffic
Telework terms:

Alternative work site: A place away from a traditional work site that is suitable for the performance of job-related duties

Telecommute/Telework: Work performed at an alternative work site on an occasional or part-time basis

Telecommuter/Teleworker: An employee who has the training, permission, and technology to work part-time in a home office and part-time in the office

Telecommute/Telework agreement: A written agreement, completed and signed by an employee and their employer, detailing the work arrangement

Virtual office worker: An employee who works in a mobile office 100% of the time—anywhere, anytime

Resources:

International Telework Association and Council